“MDA has already sent the first batch of checks this week and
we’re telephoning other homeowners to
schedule closing on their applications,” Jon Mabry, Chief Operating Office
at MDA’s Disaster Recovery Division said.

This program, an extension of the Homeowner Assistance Program, (HAP)
ceased taking applications Saturday, March 15, in accordance with the
deadline for receiving all Homeowner Assistance Applications.

The Elevation Grant Program is a construction initiative where the
federal government requires that each site complies with all applicable
environmental and building code mandates.

“Therefore this is much more complex to implement than Phase I and
Phase II of the Homeowner Assistance Program, which dealt only with
sending checks to compensate for Katrina storm surge losses,” Mabry
continued.

“The Elevation Grant Program goes a step further in providing each
approved applicant up to $30,000 to help the homeowners whose site
geography demands they now elevate above new, post Katrina federal flood
regulations, better preparing for another hurricane. To do that, the
federal government requires some very extensive environmental evaluations
of each site involving everything from lead based paint assessments to
determining whether each site may have historic and archeological
significance.”

To simplify the environmental review process and speed the application
and disbursal schedules, MDA, in conjunction with all federal agencies and
entities with a role in environmental site certification, composed a broad
check list by which each site can be generally evaluated.

“This is making it easier on the applicant, keeping each homeowner from
having to engage with all these agencies on their own, which would have
been much more trying and time consuming,” Mabry continued. “In addition,
we’re prioritizing applications in which owners are elevating and
constructing on their original home’s footprint, without dramatic site
changes which trigger new environmental assessments.”

The environmental and code compliance verification is being conducted
by URS Corporation, under contract with MDA. Inspection teams from URS
are currently deployed in the three Coastal counties conducting site
reviews, at no cost to the homeowner.

Since prioritizing the applicants by construction status, MDA expects
checks to be released in a continuous fashion with payments and closing
packages being mailed weekly.